reese



"CHARLES REESE, OF BALTIMORE,MARTIJANDQ sPEcIFIcAruo v forming part of Letters' Patent 'No. 224,476, dated February 10, 1880.

- Application filed September1'7,1879. Q

- To all whom it may concern;

Be it known thatl, CHARLES REEsE, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the ordinary lap or scarf joint for track-rails,

the object beiu g to prevent as far as possible the jarring and crushing of the railscaused by the passage of the .wheels over the joints where the rails are, not laid evenly or settle unevenly. i

It is well known that a perfectly'close' joint cannot be maintained at the point where two rails come together, owing to the required allowance for expansiouand contraction, and this necessary loosenes's renders it very difficult to keep the rails on the same level. consequence is that, whether the joint be a lap or a butt, the wheel, in jumping from the higher tothe lower, will batter the rail,

and in passing from the lower to thehigher will crush the end of the latter. In either case there is a severe jolting, which is injurious to both the cars and the passengers.

My invention seeks to obviate these diffities by cutting the ends of the-rails in the usual Way to form a lap or scarf joint, and then beveling or rounding'down the top of the tongue of the lap. To better adapt the rail to this form of joint, and to receive the fish-plates, I also make some alterations in the form of the rail, all of which will be more fully hereinafter setforth. l

In the drawings, which serve to-illustrate my invention, Figureli's a perspective view of the joint. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken a little to one side of the ceni term Fig. -3 is a transverse sectiontaken throughrthe joint. Fig.,4 is a modification illustrating the application of myinvention to ascarf-joint. I Let A B representportions of a track-rail, which may be of steel or iron. In the present instance it is a modification of theordi-.

nary T-rail. These rails are gained or halved at the ends for a considerable distance to give additional strengthand rigidity to the the joint, in which case it will not appear at the center, wherethesection inFig. 3 is taken. I prefer to bevel down each lap gradually from about the center of its length. i I

, When thus constructed the wheel will ride smoothly over the joint, even when one rail has settled considerably, provided the beveled-down extremity is still curved and protected by the shoulderof the rail where it abuts. As a further precaution against excessive I maladjustments of the rails, I may'slightly bevel the shoulder also, as indicated at din Fig. 2. r v

. To compensate for the weakening of the web by splittin g it at the joint, I propose to thicken it, without adding to the weight of the rail, by narrowing the tread correspondingly; and to joint I provide a step or shoulder at e e on thebase g, and construct the fish-plates to fit snugly between the under side of the head and the shoulders e 0, so as to form a support for the head at the joint.

whether for steam-roads or tramways, and for split'as. well as solid rails.

Havingthus. described my invention, I wish it understood that I make no claim to a lap or scarf joint for rails, as I believe these are not new with me; and I am also aware that rounded splice-blocks gained or halved into the rails and projecting. above the general level of the same at their centers have been against which they abut rounded off, as at (I,

employed, and make no claim to these; but substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

What I do claim is In witness whereof I have hereunto signed 1. A lap or splice joint for track-rails in my name in the presence of two subscribing 5 which the ends of the laps are beveled or witnesses.

rounded off, as at 0 c, substantially as and for 1 the purposes set forth.

2. A lap or splice joint for track-rails in which the ends of the laps are beveled or CHARLES REESE.

Witnesses G. E. SANGSTON,

1o rounded off, as at c c, and the shouldersl WM. D. ELDRIDGE. 

